Chapter 60 Poison And Panic

• (POV: Isabela)
• Cold air hung heavy in the thin passage after the mess back in that broken-together wedding room. Iron-like pressure clamped down on my arm - Mateo’s hold, unyielding, painful. Not a word came from him, only motion, pulling me forward fast, each step sharp and aimed, his free hand keeping the gun low but awake. Faint thuds and distant shouts followed from behind, Alvarez shouting orders, fighting what remained of Emilio’s crew. Tied now by law. Husband and wife. The fact settled like dust. Heavy lumps of silence sat inside me. Not a union - more like being trapped, locked down by gunfire and dread.
• Through yet another massive doorway we crashed, arriving at the place meant for celebration - an enormous grand hall, once lavish, now torn apart like everything else. Above, crystal lights sparkled coldly, untouched by chaos beneath. Furniture that had been neat and covered in fine cloth now lay on its sides, glass shards crackling with every step taken across the floor. Blooms worth more than most homes sagged in ruin, trampled without care. Smoke clung to the space, sharp with burnt powder and something metallic, hiding only slightly behind traces of frosting and flower perfume.